Thanks & Kittens : Adult Ballerina showing you can do it too

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Monthly Archives: May 2012

You know it’s recital time when you’re ordering extra things, you’re exhausted, and there’s little extra time to do things you want to do. So after I got sick and was on the mend to recovery I bashed my left achilles horribly bad. It made me not able to do pointe for another week. My left heel was horribly weak and it was all swollen and uncomfortable. Try dancing with the heel of your ballet slipper off, your shoe has a tendency to slide off or just be plain uncomfortable to stand/balance in. I had to go to the walk in clinic and check to see if anything bad had happened, it was that bad of a bash. Luckily just a badly bruised achilles, make sure not to harm it further because I could potentially tear the tendon! Also was lucky there wasn’t a break in the bone.

We received our costumes last week too! I like my pre-pointe/pointe costume! It’s a little more on the modern/contemporary side of ballet costumes but that’s okay. My adult costume unfortunately looks like a square dancing dress that goes all the way to the ankles. I have photos next week!! I’m nervous! I’ll be gussied up for both classes and get twice the amount of photos done… I need to buy more hair spray haha!

My pre-pointe teacher insisted that we get nude leotards to wear under our costume. I looked for a decent one, but wasn’t encouraged by a lot of ’em, so I decided to go with a dance bra! I don’t have a large bust, it doesn’t necessarily get in the way of my dancing, but for changing from one costume to the next I didn’t want to be naked for everyone haha! So I’m wearing a pair of nude panties, with my tights over that and my new dancing bra! I’m kind of excited for this silly expensive bra. I also bought new tights, can never have too many, and a pair of new shoes. The new shoes though appear to be too big so they’ll have to be sent back.

I was able to go back en pointe on Tuesday, which was exhilarating. Not only was I dancing en pointe but I wasn’t cramping!! We did barre work in them so I danced in them for an hour. I’m so glad I had cut my toe nails before class out of courtesy just to myself, but that was a smart decision. Today I’m going to class for an hour then an hour and half will be company dance, then I’ll come back and do more ballet with the pointe girls to make up time I lost on the Tuesday I was sick. I got to try releveing on one foot and found I had difficulties getting over my box and my hip/balance over my right foot. Something new for my body to learn but ultimately something that kind of goes against what my PT is teaching me. We watched video of me jogging and walking and saw how I place a lot of weight on to one leg in an imbalanced sort of way which is of course detrimental to my health. So while learning ballet alignment and things I also have to keep my personal balance in interest. This is super very hard. He also gave me super hard exercises to do at home with my therabands.

Seriously, with all the physical work I’ve been doing all week my body is completely exhausted and tight and uncomfortable. I have to double stretch before class to just try and feel normal. UGH. Next week I’ll try and snap photos of myself in the mirror with my costumes at pictures.

It’s beautiful outside today in Seattle. I’m working all holiday weekend through Monday. Which means I’m off the sick bus! I went back to class on Thursday which was a nice way to get back into class. An hour long class still intense, but still easy enough I wasn’t breaking out in a sweat until late into the class. I’m so glad to not be a zombie any more, it’s amazing to wake up and no longer be in a cloud of haze.

So Thursday, Teacher informs us costumes for recital will be distributed next week Tuesday, YES! Class started easy enough, plies of course, but we got to doing across the floor and I f’d it up so bad. It was a pique arabesque, step, glissade, assemble. I got stuck trying to do a pas de chat instead of an assemble, and I COULD NOT TEAR MY EYES FROM THE FLOOR. I knew the steps, I knew I could do the combination, but I found myself behind one beat, then two, then three, I kept colliding because we were doing it right, left, right left. I wasn’t fast enough and I just fumbled it all ughhhhhh. Ultimately I left frazzled that I couldn’t do something so “simple”. These things bother me, and I often then practice them at home until I feel more confident in them. The problem is, I’m usually doing it on pavement, or carpeted floor and the wrong type of shoes. I know I’ll get it, but by the time I get it we’ll have moved on to something else- hah.

I’ve decided this summer I’ll take classes all through at Exit Space. It’s a longer drive, but I’ll be able to carpool with my Husband so it won’t be awful. I’m really excited for a new dance environment. New challenges, and different methods of teaching.

I’ve also noticed new muscle tone! My bicep is getting very toned in a specific way. Not round mountains you see on strong people, but this very specific shaped almost looks rectangular/sharp looking bicep that shapes from the armpit to the end of the bicep. It’s amazingly cool!! Besides running this summer I think I’ll have to take up crunches and back pull ups. Oh boy! A whole work out regime, actually kind of excited haha!

Also, you guys, I’m so about ready to chop off my hair! It just grows so fast and it’s so long and heavy. I’m wish washy about cutting it though because recital is soon (not cutting it that short, just above shoulder). I think I should just cut it. Get it over with- ugh.

I caught a bad cold probably last Tuesday. I have a strict policy of washing my hands after using the barres in class because everyone and everything has touched those from morning ’til me. Kids, adults, whatever. Barres are filthy places. Well after Tuesday I was so hungry I started eating some crackers I had in a ziplock bag. It was during my drive home and I totally over looked it. Wednesday I was fine and got to hang out with my ballet friend where we picked up Giselle and La Bayadere on DVD. We only watched Giselle since we roved off topic frequently chatting. By Wednesday though I felt something in my throat and tried to combat it with lots of mouth wash, lots of vitamin c, lots of liquids, to no avail. I missed class on Thursday and huddled on the couch in a blankie and on Friday just stayed in bed all day. It’s Tuesday again and I’m starting to feel a smidge better. Not better enough to go to class though. I’ll miss out on valuable choreography time but seriously- no condition to be out.

This is the first time I’ve been sick during my return from ballet. I’m so worried I’ll be so weak returning that I’ll pant and faint(most likely not). I guess when my head is right things won’t feel so shaky haha, probably go back to class next week for sure. Maybe later this week I’ll do some plies in the kitchen.

4dancers.org is a nifty blog for dancers of all kind. Recently they are working on 52 weeks of adult dancers that I thought anyone interested in starting dance as an adult, or returning would seek inspiration from! It’s also a great resource to keep up to date on choreographers, dancers, what’s happening in the dance world!